A Ghostly Perspective
by Geminium
Summary: It's not everyday you get stuck inside the mind of a fourteen-year old boy. When you do though, the effects can be rather interesting.


**Author's Note:** My first DP fanfic (hooray!). It focuses on pretty much Danny's alter-ego, and how he'd view it from inside his human counterpart throughout the canon. I originally intended this to be Pitch Pearl, but it ended up more of a friendship fic than anything else. Just a heads up for people to back out of the story beforehand.

As always, I would love it if people gave constructive criticism.

**Story Notes:** The fic is pretty canon-heavy; there are a lot of references to episodes in seasons 1 & 2, so watch out for that. I bet there will be some readers who can name all the references though. I had to watch a ton of the episodes in order to get the details right. I felt like the tone was pretty erratic and no matter how hard I tried to fix it, it just doesn't seem right. Oh well.

The pronouns were also quite tricky, especially in the earlier parts of the fic.

And with that, I hope you enjoy the fic.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Danny Phantom

* * *

_Almost there._

He watched as Danny ran to meet up with his friends in front of the school's front doors; the bell ringing just as they made it inside.

_Close. _

Any slower and they'd be late again. The teacher had already given them enough detentions to last the year because of their constant tardiness. Giving them anymore would only cut into the Danny's ghost-fighting time. Not that the teacher knew that.

The low buzzing of voices pervaded their senses, breaking Phantom out of his reverie. The school hallways were filled with numerous adolescents; the vibrant colours of their clothes clashing against each other. Loud and bright.

He took it all in.

It was nice to be on time. The boy had earned it, especially with all the ghost attacks that seem to pervade this side of the hemisphere.

_No, not boy_, he chastised himself. Danny was far too mature to be called that. At least, not anymore. The teen had become so much more: strong, independent, courageous, kind. He could go on, though he knew the list wouldn't end if he did.

Danny hadn't always been like that. Then again, both of them hadn't been quite the same after their first meeting; the results had been quite... shocking, to say the least. Back then, Danny had been a shy and quiet sort, content with enduring his high school days with near obscurity. Aside from the occasional bully and his embarrassing, ghost-obsessed parents, his life was what one could consider 'normal'. And it would be normal, if only he hadn't stepped into that machine...

-XXX-

It started with the accident. The one that changed everything.

Millions of volts raced through the wires and arced towards the center of the machine, converging upon the slight figure lying on the ground. His cells overcharged with energy and infused with ectoplasm, nearly bursting at the seams. It was a wonder the boy survived at all.

Still, all of that paled in comparison when the boy discovered his powers. The feeling of pure, unadulterated joy as he soared through the sky, adrenaline pumping through his veins as Danny finally gave in, relinquished himself to his newfound abilities.

Dark clouds gave way to serene, starlit sky; each pinprick of light winking at him like faraway candles in the night. Panic and fear had long since gone, replaced with wonder and excitement as the human fell into a steep drop towards the ground, only to pull up at the last second and race across the concrete ground. It was exquisite, how everything felt so new, so different from how he knew it. How _they_ knew it.

The world was no longer the same.

-XXX-

Before Danny, there had been nothing.

Nothing but the murky black-green space in which beings like him resided in. There was nothing to anchor him to the earth. With no ears to hear, nor eyes to see; he was little more than a speck of soul adrift amidst the many others gathered here in the afterlife. He existed, but only just. His mind could only comprehend that he _himself_ existed, even though it hardly made sense to him.

Danny had changed all of that. Instead of darkness, there was light. Emotion replacing indifference. Action in place of reaction. Everything that he'd ever experienced up to now faded away, inconsequential, replaced by memories of another lifetime. Another person, another _him_.

His other half. The one whom he'd merged with and was now irreparably linked to. He saw the other growing. Learning. Laughing. Things that he'd never known before until now, and yet he could hardly recall the grey existence that he once was before the merge. What little memory of his past form was gone, vanished as if it had never existed. Like _he'd_ never existed. And for one moment, he'd felt something akin to rage and regret well up inside him, pushing past all the new feelings and memories he now held inside.

He'd never asked for this. To be different. To be _human_. It was strange, alien, and none too satisfying. Everything was too loud and too bright. He could feel the dryness that lingered within his new throat, the sweat that stung his palms, and the itchiness that encroached upon every fiber of his being. It was too much.

And yet, he couldn't help but want more.

-XXX-

Hunting ghosts had never been one of the boy's aspirations, but it was something that he'd taken to like a fish in water. As the spirit fondly recalled last night's fight with 'Ghost Zone's greatest hunter', he couldn't help but wonder why his host had become so attached to such a strange activity. The boy's parents might've had something to do with it (and the comic books too, no doubt), but it wouldn't explain his dedication.

The human was a far cry from being a proper warrior; his movements lacked the strength and finesse that all the other ghosts seemed to possess, and he'd taken his fair share of attacks because of his slow reflexes. In fact, the only redeeming nature seemed to be that of his stubbornness and quick temper.

And still, the boy tried. _Why?_

His friends perhaps? It would certainly answer a lot. He'd seen how the gloomy girl-friend (_Goth_, he corrected himself) had pushed the teen to help. And for that, he was thankful. She'd given the boy purpose, a reason to use his powers openly and without fear.

But it wasn't enough.

Unfortunately, fighting ghosts had made the teen lose what little respect and social standing he'd attained in school. His classmates now avoided him like the plague, while others bullied and tormented him for the fun of it. Most of the teachers ignored him, branding him as a delinquent when he skipped classes and handed in assignments half-finished. All they saw was a failure, someone who would never make it in the real world, much through less high school.

It wasn't fair. Danny had done so much, sacrificed so much, only to mocked and scorned for his efforts.

So why would he help them? Why go through all that trouble to save others only to get attacked by your own family?

A wisp of cold air escaped through the boy's lips, cutting off the spirit's brooding. The latter sighed internally, as the teen rushed out of the classroom, ignoring his teacher's reprimands, to deal with the latest of ghost disturbances.

Whatever it was, it could wait.

-XXX-

_Things could be worse, right? _Danny looked nervously over at his sister, who was determinedly ignoring him, and everything else for that matter, in favour of reading her psychology textbook.

"Jack! The highway!"

"I got it!" Danny instinctively clutched the seat as the RV angled sharply to change lanes, cutting off several vehicles in the process.

_...not really...!,_ the spirit replied tightly, watching through the boy's eyes whilst the RV ran over a part of the sidewalk again. It was a miracle that they hadn't been arrested yet; the teen's father (_Jack, was it?)_ had to have broken at least a dozen driving regulations by now.

Sometimes, he wondered how the human put up with it all. He might've had access to every memory the teen had, but it was nonetheless a marvel that anyone could grow up, much less survive in such an environment. Caught between an overbearing sister and ghost-obsessed parents, the boy had remarkably come out of it relatively unscathed. Unless you count the 'half-ghost hybrid' part of course.

Even so, it never ceased to amaze him what people could do, what they could build. What they lacked in strength and size, they made up with intelligence and cunning. There may have been some who were less amiable, but for the most part, humans were generally friendly creatures.

Danny however was, by far, the most interesting human he'd met (and he wasn't just saying that because he was stuck in the teen either).

The accident may have given the boy ghost powers, but it'd been how Danny had used his new powers that both confused and interested him. Some would've used them for personal gain, most would freak out for having them, but Danny had chosen to use his powers to protect the townspeople.

It was quite perplexing, though far from unwelcome. If anything, he'd have to say that Danny was without a doubt, the unusual person in AmityPark.

"Dad, don't you think we should slow down a bit? What if we hit something?" Jazz, who'd finally abandoned her book, looked worriedly at her parents as the RV swerved dangerously around a pair of tour buses.

**_Clang._**

"...like that."

"Oh honey, don't be silly! The RV has state-of-the-art safety features so everyone's safe and sound. Right, Jack?" Maddie turned to her husband.

"Huh? Wha-uh, of course! This baby's got everything we need to keep us safe. And more importantly, to fight _ghosts!_"

...then again, he couldn't deny that there was something peculiar about every member within the Fenton household. Each of them seemed to have their own obsession. For Jazz, it was psychology. The parents of course, had ghosts.

Danny's however, was superheroes. Or at least, heroics. The teen really enjoyed saving people. Sure, it was tiring and thankless, not to mention dangerous. But at the end of the day, he could tell that Danny was always, on some level, happy. Happy that he'd kept another ghost from attacking an innocent civilian. Happy that he'd helped out his friends, whether it was ghost-related or not. It was a trait all too strange, too...unique, and downright _weird_. Nobody else would do what Danny did.

So was it strange then, that he found the boy's actions somewhat...admirable?

That was the only way he could explain it, the strange contentedness that he felt when Danny fought another ghost, or when the teen helped his friends on some crazy scheme, like Sam's 'Save the Frogs' campaign. It was...peculiar, so to speak. He'd never felt anything like it.

Perhaps it was just something he'd have to get used to, in this new state of being. He was fine with it, really. The feeling never really troubled him, though it proved to be an endless source of fascination whenever he got bored from exploring the teen's mind.

Yes. It was a strange existence, but not an unpleasant one. It was just...different.

-XXX-

_Never again._

He felt Danny's arms grasp the pillow in a deathgrip, knuckles white, as the boy broke into another small wave of tears. Closed off from his parents and sister, the teen let out another soft wail, muffling the sound using the pillow so that no one could hear it.

He churned restlessly, unnerved and worried. He should've known better. He'd seen the boy suffer from ghost hunting, known and felt how miserable and insecure the other felt about his powers. He should have done something, _anything. _

He should've been there to reassure him, to guide him along. Helped him in his ghost-hunting. And yet, all he'd done was hole up in a corner of the teen's mind and watch as the other ghosts slowly broke him, mind and body.

It was _his_ fault.

The signs had been all too apparent: the lack of appetite, the lethargy, the brittle smiles and empty stares of a someone who'd seen too much. A child who'd been forced into adulthood and handed a responsibility that wasn't his to begin with. It had been too much.

The concert had been the breaking point, the one thing that had pushed him over the edge. Several ghosts had come close in the past, but Sam kissing Dash had been the breaking point. It'd been to break the spell, but the damage was done. Danny had broken down the moment he'd been left alone in the confines of his own bedroom, his angry facade giving way to despair

Danny had loved her, and his heart was broken because of it.

Another whimper brought him back to the boy, who was curled up in fetal position on the bed. The blankets were curled around them, a childish attempt at protection against the unfairness of the world.

_No more,_ he decided. He couldn't hide any longer. He was a part of Danny now, not some rogue wisp of ecto-energy floating within the Ghost Zone. The teen needed him, now more than ever, as a guide and supporter. Danny _needed_ his other half.

_And I'll always be there._

It was a silent promise, heard only by himself, but no less binding. He slowly reached out to his other, merging his mind with Danny's, calming the teen with memories of another time. A better time. Jazz pushing him on the swings. Building a model rocket with his parents. Hanging out the Nasty Burger with his friends.

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes into hours, as he continued to play the images in Danny's head until the boy fell into a fitful, troubled sleep.

_Never again._

-XXX-

There were a lot of things that the spirit didn't know about. Things that he had to learn on the fly in order to grasp what was going on in his counterpart's life. School, friends, parents, the list went on. There was just so much to see, so much to learn about. It didn't help that Danny had taken up ghost-hunting, which only added to the chaos. Even so, he always did his best to keep up with the rapidly shifting world that made up Danny's life.

This however, was simply ridiculous.

"Dude, that last hit was _way_ too close. We should've blasted him with a flash mine."

"No way! He would've just jumped right over it! I say we try hyper-drive again."

They'd been at it for over three hours straight already, non-stop except for bathroom breaks. To be honest, it was starting to get a little aggravating. He couldn't see how blasting miniature figures on a screen was fun. Danny already had enough power to effortlessly blast down several ghosts all at once. Doing it on a screen was just... juvenile. Onscreen, Danny's character was blasted down again, quickly followed by Tucker's. Defeated again.

"Agghh! And we were so close!"

_Hardly, _he thought acidly to his counterpart, hoping that Danny could hear him and turn the darn thing off and get some sleep. Not that the other would anyway; the mental connection was a one-way street. One of the many problems with sharing a mind with a fourteen year old.

It wasn't that he despised playing video games; he'd long since accepted that they were just another part of Danny's life. In fact, some of them were rather entertaining to watch. No, the problem was when his counterpart spent eight hours on the same game every day for the past two weeks. Eight. Freaking. _Hours_. And it wasn't even a great game either (at least, in his opinion)! Most of it just involved shooting or being shot by other players.

Simply put, it was boring.

Of course, Danny didn't seem to think so. He'd been on it since what? nine o' clock? He couldn't tell. None of Danny's senses were currently attuned to the time. Everything had been redirected towards the brightly flashing screen in front of them.

Another downside to sharing a mind with a fourteen year old; you have no control over your senses. What Danny felt, he felt. And what Danny saw, he saw.

And considering that all Danny saw was a brightly flashing screen for the last few hours, who could blame him for wanting to strangle his counterpart? There was only so much one could do when stuck inside another person's mind anyway, besides contemplating one's existence.

"You got the free life?"

"Heck yeah, I do! And with it, one step closer to beating Chaos!"

The spirit sighed internally. He swore, if he ever got the chance to talk with Danny, he'd make the other take up a hobby. One that, at the very least, _wasn't _life-threatening or so boring.

**_"Game Over."_**

"Awww, c'mon!"

Definite emphasis on the boring.

-XXX-

It wasn't that he was envious, but sometimes, he wished Danny would see the brighter side of things. The boy had so much, but took it for granted at times. Like now, for instance.

"C'mon Danny, the plane's not going to wait forever," Maddie's voice drifted down towards them from the top of the escalator.

"Yeah, and I'm sure not hoping for that," Danny muttered under his breath. The spirit would've glowered at the boy's sarcasm. Seeing as they shared the same body though, he settled for the scowl directed at his counterpart's mother instead.

"...well?"

"...well what?"

"Are you going to just stand there or are you coming up?" the elder Fenton tapped her foot impatiently. Sighing heavily, Danny made his way up, dragging his small suitcase up the steps.

_You really should hurry up. She's waiting for you..._

"Happy now?" Danny stalked towards the boarding gates, ignoring the small frown on Maddie's face.

_...for now...,_he acquiesced. Now if only he could get the other to stop being so abrasive-

Too late. He winced as his counterpart gave another snide remark; this time about the plane's extravagant interior. Danny wasn't a fan of excess, though he surmised it was due more to how it reminded his human of a certain arch-nemesis rather than an actual dislike for wealth. Nevertheless, the trip was supposed to be about mother and son bonding together over a shared interest; one last memory to share before Danny grew too old to enjoy such activities. At least with his parents anyway.

The idea itself was pretty interesting. What better way to learn about the human world than to visit a science symposium, in Florida no less? He was always eager to learn more about the world Danny inhabited, to explore the sounds, tastes, smells and, sights that his counterpart's senses provided him with. Sure, it was nice in AmityPark, but he couldn't deny the appeal of traveling across the globe. So when Danny's mother had suggested they go to a science symposium in Florida, he'd been ecstatic.

Too bad Danny was determined to make the worst out of it.

"Folks, this is your captain speaking. In a few short moments, we'll be taking off for Florida. So strap in your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff!" the pilot's voice echoed through the cabin, prompting both mother and son to sit in one of the burgundy chairs situated on the sides of the plane.

Buckling in, Danny glared forlornly outside the window. It was obvious he wanted to be back at Amity, practising his ghost powers and spending time with his friends. The spirit however, eyed the boy's mother out of the corner of their eyes, taking in her conflicted expression and stiff shoulders.

_She's sad_, he noted. The thought weighed on his mind, bringing with it a small pang of guilt. The fact that Danny was purposely ignoring her to watch the plane take off only made it worse. The boy was so callous sometimes, ignoring those who cared for him in order to further his own goals. It was a trait all too reminiscent of another ghost-human hybrid, a parallel which the spirit shuddered to even think about. Danny would _never_ be like Vlad. He was too kind-hearted, too caring, too loyal to even think of turning on his friends.

Or would he?

Memories of the concert flashed through his mind. He remembered how Danny had cried, trembling as he called out her name. He'd seen how Danny had broken down, given in to the raging emotions within him as he cried out in fear, sorrow and anger all at once. He recalled the gaunt face, devoid of emotion, as the teen dragged himself out of the bed the day after, emotionally and physically strained by the pressures of maintaining a secret double life from his family and classmates.

It could happen. It might. It-No, it wouldn't happen. Not as long as he was here. He could protect Danny, educate him on his powers, encourage him. Danny may have shared some similarities with Vlad, but he'd never follow in the billionaire's footsteps. He'd make sure of that. And he'd start with-

"C'mon Mr. Pouty-pants. This weekend is supposed to be about us! Those DALV people sent this private jet just for us. _How_ perfect is that?"

_...try being nice for a change. Mom's been looking forward to this for ages..._

"Do you want the truth, or one of those little white lies that doesn't hurt your feelings?"

...It was a start.

_At least he's not looking out the window anymore_, he thought glumly.

-XXX-

If anyone had asked him what he thought of Danny Fenton a few months prior, he would've answered with "weak, scrawny, nervous and clumsy." Not that there weren't any redeeming qualities to Danny, but they were just the kind of thoughts that sprung to mind when he looked (metaphorically) at the teen.

The Danny he was seeing now however, was the complete opposite.

"This ecto-gun should keep away most ghosts. Adjust the power level to six, aim, and fire. There's a bit of recoil, so keep a firm grip on it," Danny handed out several copies of the weapon, briefly displaying the components before showing off another firearm.

It was baffling, too see such a change in the normally shy teen, but nonetheless expected. Ever since the accident, Danny had constantly been in battle. He'd fought countless enemies, and overcome insane obstacles, escaping death many times over to the point that he could pass it off as a mere joke. Those experiences had long since hardened him, it had made Danny a warrior.

But that wasn't what had thrown him. Oh no. What had amazed him was how quickly Danny had rallied the rest of the teenagers to help rescue their parents. How easily he'd been able to make them listen. Granted, everyone's parents were captured, but most teenagers were pretty stubborn and were unlikely to follow anyone they thought was incompetent. The fact that Danny of all people had gotten them to work together was nothing short of a miracle.

"Paulina, you finished with that make-up yet?"

"Almost. Just give me a sec, I need to fix the wig."

The assertiveness was unmistakable, and even though it wasn't directed at him, the tone made him shiver in anticipation. He'd never seen his counterpart so... commanding? Compelling? Forceful? It was a side he'd never seen in the other, yet made so much sense at the same time (he probably got it from his mom; dad wasn't exactly the 'strict leader' type). To say it confused him was an understatement.

And to think, in only a few hours, Danny would be the one leading them in battle. Coordinating their assault against Ember and Youngblood.

"Alright, you ready? It's time to take the fight to them."

"Yeah!" a chorus of voices replied in unison.

Nope, still confused.

-XXX-

"Is it too much to ask for one day where I don't get beat up?"

_...Perhaps_, the spirit thought smugly. Unlike his human counterpart, he'd been happily watching the proceedings take place from the comfort of Danny's mind. The fact that Dash had just hung them from a flagpole by their underwear did little to dampen his mood. It'd been a good week.

Meanwhile, Danny limped back inside the Nasty Burger, wincing as his right leg flared up. It'd taken the brunt of the fall, and throbbed painfully whenever he leaned on it.

"Great, now I'm tired, beaten, _and_ crippled," Danny took a seat at an empty table, trying to stretch out his legs to get some feeling back into them. The pain wasn't anything a good night's sleep couldn't cure, but the sooner he got better, the better prepared he would be when another ghost showed up.

"Could be worse," Sam said as she and Tucker joined Danny, taking opposite seats to the hybrid.

"Yeah, you could be Val," Tucker jerked his thumb towards Valerie, who was outside still being chased by Nathan. Danny raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze from Tucker's snickering to Sam's innocent smile. Did he really want to know?

_Probably not_..., Danny was always a bit clueless when it came to his friends.

Still, not only had his counterpart beaten Pariah Dark and saved the town, he'd also attempted to make amends with Dash for his pranks. Granted, the jock was still bullying them, but the fact that Danny had apologized made all the difference.

Moreover, for the first time since he'd been fused with the boy, the spirit realized that Danny was growing up. The shy, awkward and clumsy child he'd overseen had been replaced with a confident, focused teenager, ready to take on the world. The thought was somehow both comforting and saddening. Comforting in that he no longer had to worry so much about Danny's well-being; the boy could control his powers now, and was confident in his role as town protector. Saddening because, well... he'd grown up.

Danny had friends, _good_ friends. Friends that would help him with ghost-fighting, and would stick with him no matter what. He had a town that now accepted him as their hero, their protector. Simply put, Danny didn't need him anymore. Sure, the teen might need some advice every now and then, but for the most part, there wasn't much he needed to do.

...

Perhaps it was for the best anyway.

-XXX-

_"Who are you?"_

_...who?_

_"You."_

_M-me?_

_"Yeah, you-whatever you are. Get out of my head."_

_How did..._

_...I can't._

_"Why not?"_

_Cause I'm you._

_"What..."_

_I'm you. Well, not really you. Just... different._

_"Different how? No, how can you even be me? I'm me!"_

_I'm a part of you. Your conscience, I guess. I... help you._

_"Help me?"_

_Yeah. I've been here all along. I fused with you, during the accident. It's just... I could talk to you, but you couldn't talk back._

_"...Sorry."_

_Y-you don't have to apologize._

_"Yeah, well I feel kind of crappy for not noticing you. Must've been hard to be stuck inside me with no way out, huh?"_

_...yeah._

_I-It's not all bad though. Really. I mean, before you came along, I never even knew people existed._

_"Really?"_

_Uh-huh. I'm actually r-really glad. I learned so many things. It's just..._

_"...just what?"_

_...I never thought this would happen._

_"What? That I'd discover my conscience has a will of its own?"_

_No, it's just that I never thought that... that I could actually talk to you._

_"Hah-hah, geeze, I've never met anyone so eager to talk to me. Usually, they just ignore me, or run away."_

_That's not true! I-I've always wanted to talk to you. You're kind and generous, you have a great sense of humour. Sure, you have a bad temper, but-_

_"Hey, take it easy. I'm not really all that great, you know (but you are!). Besides, I'm just doi-"_

"Danny?"

"I-Huh?" Danny turned towards Sam.

'You've been acting kinda weird ever since we fused you back together. I'm just worried it might've messed with your head."

"It's fine Sam. Nothing to worry about."

"If you say so," Sam looked unconvinced, but left it that. No sense in asking questions that weren't going to be answered.

_...why didn't you tell her?_

_"Because, I don't want to look like I'm crazy."_

_You're not crazy._

_"A half-ghost, half-human hybrid who hears voices inside his head? Yeah. Totally not crazy."_

_..._

_"So, now that we've established my insanity, what should I call you?"_

_Call me?_

_"Yeah, like a name."_

_I-I don't... I don't have a name._

_"You don't have a name?!"_

_It wasn't important then._

_..._

_"Fine then. From now on, I'll call you Phantom."_

_Phantom? _

_"Yeah, cause you're a part of me, right? And you came from the ghost zone, like my powers did. I guess it's not really that great of a name, but it kinda fits, since you're kind of like my secret identity in a way." _

_...Phantom._

_"I-if you don't like it, then we could think of ano-"_

_N-no, it's fine! It's great, actually. I-thank you. I've never had a name before. _

_"Well, it's nice to meet you, Phantom."_

_...nice to meet you too. Danny._

-XXX-

He'd failed.

_"It's not your fault."_

But it is. It's all his fault. He never should've told Danny to do it. How could he be so _stupid?_ They were supposed to be the good guy, the hero. Which meant always doing the right. And then he'd gone and told his counterpart to cheat on the C.A.T. because he'd thought the teen deserved it.

Yeah, great job there, Phantom. Way to mess things up.

What's worse was how everything else would've ended up if Clockwork hadn't shown up. Their family, their friends, everything would be gone. All because he had goaded his counterpart into using the test answers.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid..._ _I _never_ should've helped out._

But he had, hadn't he? And look how that had turned out. He couldn't do anything right. He couldn't help Danny with the test, he couldn't save their friends, and Danny...

Danny. He couldn't save Danny. That was what hurt the most, more than anything else. The fact that he'd only caused more pain, to the point that his counterpart had had him ripped out. And then...

_Stupid, stupid, stupid..._

_"Hey, cut it out!"_

Who was he kidding? He wasn't good. He'd never done anything but selfishly cling to Danny, feeding off of the other in order to survive. He was _evil. _

_"You're not-"_

He never should've tried to help. It wasn't natural. He'd be better off locked up within Danny's mind, never to come out. Nobody would get hurt because of him again.

_"No! You can't-"_

_Why not? _It'd be so easy too. Like falling asleep.

_"Because... I-"_

_You what?_

_"I...I can't do it. I can't protect the town without you."_

_Yes, you can._

_"_No_, I can't!"_

_..._

_"L-look. I... I need you, ok? Heck, I'm useless without you! I mean, ever since you've fused with me, you've done nothing but help. Don't deny it. I know you did. You help me with my homework, y-you give me hints when I'm fighting ghosts. God, you even help me when Sam gets mad! _Sam!_ Of all people, you can even get Sam to listen! Do you know how hard that is?!"_

...

_"The thing is I... I just can't live without you. And I know it sounds really cheesy, but I never would've lasted this long without you behind my back. You're not evil. I know you aren't. You wouldn't have helped me so much if you were. This... this was just a mistake, ok? Cheating on the C.A.T., I mean. I should've returned the test answers, but I didn't. And everyone nearly got killed."_

_But, I helped you do it._

_"Yeah... yeah you did. But that doesn't mean you should off yourself or something. Everyone makes mistakes. Me? Mine just turn out a lot worse. But everyone deserves a second chance. Vlad, me, even you. So don't blame yourself, ok?"_

_..._

_...ok._

_"Promise?"_

_What?_

_"You have to promise. Swear that you're not going to run away from some stupid mistake again."_

_..._

_I promise. But only if you promise me something in return._

_"Geeze, what are you, a salesman?"_

_Promise me you'll won't go off the deep end and ask your arch-nemesis to separate you from your ghost half. Ever._

_"...don't you think that's a little specific? Besides, I already promi-"_

_Danny._

_"Fine, fine. I promise. But you have to keep your promise too, alright?"_

-XXX-

He wouldn't interfere. Phantom watched impassively as Danny and Valerie got off the roller coaster They were holding hands.

It was... _disappointing_, really. He'd thought his counterpart would have better sense than to date a ghost hunter. One that was personally out to destroy his alter-ego no less. Then again, love had never been very predictable, or logical for that matter.

Still, _Valerie?_

He couldn't get around it. He'd known that Danny would eventually date someone, but did it really have to a ghost hunter? If anything, he'd expected it to be... someone else.

_Note to self: remember to add 'clueless' to the list filed under "Danny's character traits"._

It was rather obvious, to be honest, though how it escaped Danny's notice was beyond him. And he wouldn't have minded (much) if it had been her that was sitting with Danny now. Holding hands. On the ferris wheel. Staring at Valerie with her sparkling, emerald gre-

Phantom groaned inwardly. Third problem with sharing minds: you can't exactly tune out the other's thoughts. Even though he really, really, _really_ can't stand the thought of those luscious, blac-

_"Dude, what do I say to her?!"_

_Talk about how hair. Girls love it when guys notice small things like that. It means you're paying attention to them._

"Uhh, your hair looks really... well done (it's not a piece of meat, Danny). D-did you get a new haircut?"

"Actually, I just visited the barber shop yesterday. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it looks great!"

_Tell her it brings out her eyes._

"It actually highlights your eyes really well, you know. All green and d-dragon-like. It fits you."

"You think so?"

"Uh-huh."

_It'd look even better if her hair was covered in ectoplasmic goo._

"It'd look even better if your hair was covered in ecto-_hey!_"

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Phantom inwardly snickered, ignoring the mental glare his counterpart sent him. He may not like Valerie much (or any other girl, besides Sam), but if Danny enjoyed spending time with her, he wouldn't complain about it. After all, it was _Danny's_ life, not his. The fact that the teen's life would be so much better without her wasn't important. As long as Danny was happy, Phantom was happy. Right?

...Right.

_Still doesn't mean I can't make him squirm for it._

-XXX-

Phantom laughed silently at the last one. Aside from Valerie, the memory was one of his favourites. Partly because he'd been able to prod Danny into a number of ridiculous situations that day, but mostly because it'd been a time when the teen had been able to really enjoy himself without another ghost to ruin it (unless you count Technus, of course).

_"Something funny I should know about?"_

_Not really, just... reminiscing. _

_"..Ok,"_ he didn't sound convinced. Whatever Phantom was doing, it probably involved him doing something embarrassing again. In front of his friends, no less.

_It's strange_, Phantom thought wistfully. Strange how far he'd progressed. From such a small, insignificant speck in the Ghost Zone, to a full fledged superhero. The change had been instantaneous, and yet so long ago he could scarcely remember it anymore. Fate really did have a strange sense of humour.

He watched through Danny's eyes as his counterpart doodled on their notebook, ignoring Mr. Lancer's lecture on Hamlet. He paused to listen in on Tucker, who was playing with his PDA, whereas Sam was dutifully taking notes, the scratch of her pencil echoed by a few other students. The sound brought an invisible smile to Phantom.

He may not have remembered everything in his life. But at least he remembered everything that was important.

-END?-

I've never been very brave. Or smart. Or athletic. To everyone, I'm just... _average_. Normal.

A normal kid, with normal (I use the term 'normal' quite loosely) parents, leading a normal life. That's me.

That all changed though, when I stepped into my parents' ghost portal and accidentally turned it on. That's right. A ghost portal (now you know why I use the term 'normal' loosely). A machine that supposedly can connect our world to another dimension known as the Ghost Zone. Pretty cool, right?

It is, or at least, it would've been a lot cooler if I hadn't been _in_ the machine when it turned on.

It wasn't all bad though. I didn't die. Or at least, not completely die. Basically, the machine gave me ghost powers by fusing ectoplasm with my DNA. So I'm half-dead. Sorta.

The real shocker was when I discovered I had ghost powers. I could fly, turn invisible, and walk through walls like they're not even there. Anyway, I eventually used my powers to keep malevolent ghosts from attacking our town. And believe me, there's quite a few. Most of them escape through the ghost portal, but some actually come from far away or through other means. Either way, I usually have to fight them before sending them back into the Ghost Zone.

It's not easy. I have to keep my guard up at all times, in case there's another attack. A second too late and someone might get seriously hurt. Or worse.

Luckily, nothing too bad has happened yet. So far, I've been able to keep everyone safe, give or take a few injuries and millions in property damage (what, you think this superhero gig is easy?). It doesn't make me any less worried though, that one day someone might beat me. That they might destroy the town and everything I care about.

I try not to think about that too much. Instead, I focus on getting better with my powers so that I'll be prepared for anything. I guess you could call it 'training'. Jazz just calls it 'paranoid'.

Speaking of which, Jazz is my older sister. She's a bit overprotective (oh boy, was she _ever_), but we get along fine. She's one of the few people who know my secret. My best friends Sam and Tucker also know, since they were in the lab during the accident.

Sam's a Goth. She says it's a way to express her individuality and what not, since her parents are really overbearing. She's also an ultra-recyclo vegetarian, which pretty much means she won't eat meat. Tucker, on the other hand, is a technogeek. Seriously, it's like he's married to technology. He's also a meat lover, which usually means I have to be 'damage control' whenever he and Sam start arguing about which food is better. Trust me, it's not a fun job.

There's a few others that know my secret too, like Vlad, my archenemy. He's half-ghost too, but he uses his powers for his own personal gain. Usually that entails pretty much planning to take over the world, and making a few bucks too (he's a billionaire, go figure). However, more often than not, he tries to kill my dad, claim my mom as his wife, and make me his evil apprentice.

In short, he's a fruitloop.

And then there's Phantom. He's... well, it's hard to explain exactly what he is. He's my alter-ego, I guess. He was fused with me during the accident. Since then, he's been pretty much inside my head, giving me advice. Kinda like a conscience of sorts, even though most consciences don't make it a habit to annoy the hell out of you.

Still, he helps me out with a lot of stuff. Like my homework, for instance. He's pretty good with it too. My ghost-fighting usually takes up most of the time I have, so I rarely have time to do any actual homework. So it means a lot to me when he tries to teach me the stuff I miss in class.

Aside from that, Phantom likes to help out when I'm fighting ghosts. He can't physically help me, but usually helps by finding the ghost's weak points, or alerting me to things I'm not paying attention to. It doesn't seem like much, but it is. You wouldn't believe the amount of injuries I was prevented from getting because of him.

I guess you could say Phantom's a lot like an older brother. Just a lot closer. He's always there to look out for me, whether I want him to or not. Honestly, I couldn't have found anyone else to be a better companion, even if he only exists in my mind (wow, I sound really crazy, don't I).

Still, sometimes I want to think what would happen if he wasn't fused with me. Would he still be floating around in the Ghost Zone? Phantom said that before the accident, he didn't have a body, so he just merely existed, floating around with little to no awareness. I can't imagine what that must be like, not knowing whether you're living or not. Even now, he has no control over our actions, even though he can see and feel everything that I feel.

It's sort of unfair, isn't it? I can't help but think it's somehow my fault, that he's stuck inside me with no way out.

Somehow, I just wish Phantom could have a body of his own.

* * *

**End Note:** Your thoughts? Good or bad? Either way, I hope you leave a review! XD


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